Under My Skin
by RayRae
Summary: On the outside, I look fine and like all is well. However, if you see my scars, you get a chance to see under my skin, at the real me. You get to see my real thoughts and emotions. Something she would never think I would have. Rated T for safety.
1. No One Can Know

I have not done an Avatar fan-fic in forever, so this is my attempt at doing one again. Hope you enjoy!

Sounds of effort shouts and fire singing the air could be heard from the clearing where Zuko and Aang were training. Zuko had Aang in a practice Agni Kai to review moves he had learned over the week. They practiced throughout the week and had a practice Agni Kai at the end of the week. Zuko smiled as they bended.

"Good job Aang. Looks like you got the Orb down."

Aang smiled. He had been having trouble with that move all week. "I've been practicing some…a little bit while training with Katara to be specific. She got mad at me for it."

"I can see why and why not. You are training with her specifically, but it is good to practice difficult moves."

They both ended with the closed hand formation, hands together and to the chest. Zuko smiled. "Excellent, young grasshopper."

Aang couldn't help but laugh. "Thank you, Master Zuko."

Now Zuko laughed. "Me, a master, ha."

"You are one to me."

"Thanks."

Sokka then called Aang to help him with something. He gave another grin to Zuko and left. Zuko sighed and sat down for a moment. He thought of what Aang had said, calling him a master. Really, Aang had been the only person to really say something nice to him ever since he joined them. Sure, everyone else was friendly to him, but Aang was the only one who was actually friends with him…

He then removed the bands he wore on his wrists and massaged his wrists. The scars on them were beginning to ache, but that was normal. He knew it was because of how his wrists flowed with the fire that made the scars hurt. He was silent when he looked at them. Only a few days ago, they were blood red because of them being brand new. Now, they were a pinkish color with a few dots of red. He sighed and slipped the bands back on his wrists. 'No one can know.' was his only thought.


	2. Infused Metals

Zuko returned to the group after putting the training bands back on. He could smell rice being cooked. Sokka then looked up at him. "Hey Zuko, can you go to the woods and get some more firewood? We're running low."

He nodded. "I will."

"Wow, he actually obeyed a person under him." He heard Katara mutter as he passed. He sighed to himself as he went into the woods. He was sick of Katara's crap. Ever since he joined the group, he has only heard crap from her when anything about him or the Fire Nation is mentioned. Did she ever think that maybe, just maybe, it bothered him for her to say stuff like that? Or maybe that's what she wanted, for him to be angry.

"Well, it's working." he muttered to himself.

He got into the woods and began looking for wood. He tried to keep his mind off of her by humming to himself. He hummed a childhood song he learned in primary school. It was a song honoring Avatar Roku. For some reason, it made him feel happy when he hummed it. Sometimes, it even prevented him from cutting as a way of relief. Relief from anger, stress, and depression.

He kept picking up sticks and humming to himself, enjoying the day. The sun was warm; he could almost feel the energy seeping into his skin. He liked the feeling. He almost wished that he could just stay out in the woods, lay in the sun, and just absorb heat.

But he had to get back to the camp eventually.

Once he collected a good supply of wood, he headed back to the camp. He set the wood where it would normally be at. "Thanks Zuko." Sokka said with a smile.

He nodded. "No problem." He looked around and noticed Toph was missing. Before he could ask, her voice was heard.

"Did anyone lose a knife?" She was holding Zuko's.

Everyone looked over at it. "It looks like Zuko's," Aang said, "How did you find it?"

"I was coming back from earth bending in the woods when I felt something cold and metallic under my feet. I picked it up, and it felt like a knife, so I assumed it was."

"It is a knife, and it looks like Zuko's." Aang repeated. He looked to Zuko. He nodded.

"It is mine. Thanks for finding it, Toph. I didn't know I lost it." He came over to her and she handed it back to him.

"No problem," was her simple reply.

"I would say it is typical of Zuko to own a knife, being part of a murderous race and all." Katara muttered.

Zuko squeezed the handle of the knife before putting it in the sheath. 'I swear, one more word from you…'

"Alright, who wants some food?" Sokka called.

Everyone said yes and got their bowls of rice. They all sat quietly to eat. Zuko looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Katara glaring at his knife. He ignored her glare. She then whispered something to Aang. He looked over and whispered something back. Zuko sighed and ate more, wishing they would stop looking at him like he was a freak and whispering.

'Sure, I am the firelord's son, but does that make me any less human than you are?' He shook his head and kept eating. Aang then came over and sat next to Zuko. "Hey Zuko, can I see your knife?"

Without thinking about it, Zuko took it out of the sheath and handed it to Aang. He studied the knife silently before asking, "Why is there red on the blade?"

"It's the way the blade is made. Infused metals." This was the excuse he already had planned out in case anyone ever asked.

"It looks like blood."

He was not prepared for that. "It's not, I promise you."

Aang looked at him. "Are you sure?"

Zuko looked back at him and nodded. "I'm sure."

Aang gave the knife back and stayed next to Zuko. Zuko put his knife away, and all ate silently once more.


	3. Almost Four Years

When Zuko woke up the next morning, he noticed two things were wrong. One, his knife was gone. Two, his training bands that were normally on his wrists were gone.

In their place was a note next to his head.

He took the note and read it.

"Zuko- When you wake up and read this, come meet me at the clearing where we train. I have your knife, bands, and questions. Don't dally too long.

-Aang."

He sighed and burned the note to get rid of all evidence. He couldn't help but shiver once out of nervousness. 'Aang knows.' was all he thought about. He then stood up, stretched a little bit, and went to the training ground. When he got there, Aang was sitting on a rock. As promised, the knife and bands were next to him. Also as promised, his face said that he had questions. Zuko looked at him.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"Sit." was all Aang said. Zuko sat next to him. Aang took Zuko's arm and turned it so the now white scars were face-up. He looked at Zuko with a serious face. "Did you do this?"

Zuko sighed and nodded. "Yes, I did."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Three years."

"Why?"

Zuko was silent. He wasn't really prepared for or comfortable with answering the question. Aang noticed the discomfort in his face and relaxed. "Zuko, the only reason I am asking this is because I am your friend, and friends are concerned for friends."

"I know. It's just…it's hard to say why."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I have kept it a secret for three years, soon to be four."

"Soon to be four?"

Zuko decided not to mention that he was turning seventeen soon, so he switched the topic around. "It's been because of stress, anger, and depression for the last three freaking years."

He kept his head down this time, waiting for Aang's response. What he got was unexpected to him. He felt Aang's arms around his waist in a hug. He reflexively tensed and looked at him. Aang looked at him. "You need a hug."

Zuko was silent before finally returning the hug. After a few seconds, they let go. "I'm sorry." Aang said.

"There is nothing for you to apologize about. You did not cause any of it."

"Then what did?"

"I already told you. Stress mostly."

"Is Katara a stress for you as well, with what she says about you and the Fire Nation?"

Zuko was silent for a brief moment. Should he tell Aang yes or lie and say no? He then nodded. "I thought so."

He looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. I can tell by the look you have on your face when she says something."

"Ah. Okay."

Aang then held out the knife and bands. Before Zuko could take them back, he said, "You only get these back on one condition." He held the knife up. "Stop using this on yourself and find a different way. There is a better way than what you have been doing."

Zuko closed his eyes and nodded. "I promise I will find a different way." He then tied the bands back to his wrists and put the knife back in the sheath. After that, the two began fire bending like they would any other day.


	4. Fell Off Some Rocks

**(Sorry for not updating in awhile. I've been busy. Anyway, here's the next chapter!)**

After that morning, Zuko tried the rest of the day to refrain from cutting. Nothing really bothered him throughout the day, so he didn't even have to think about it. He was beginning to feel pretty good.

However, that night stopped that feeling.

While everyone was having dinner, he noticed Katara staring at him. Again, he shrugged this off. 'Probably thinking of some smart ellic remark to say about either me or the Fire Nation,' he thought. He then noticed her look at Sokka and say something to him, but he couldn't hear what she was telling him. He watched Sokka's eyes as they widened and he said something back; it looked like he had either said "Really?" or "Really." Zuko shook his head, wondering why he was so concerned about it. He then noticed Katara draw three lines on her wrist with her finger.

He nearly choked on the mouthful of bread he had been eating. He had to swallow a few times to get it down. Toph was sitting near him and heard him choke. "Are you alright, Zuko?"

He nodded. "I'm alright. Just choked for a second."

"Okay."

Zuko then looked back over to Katara. He was concerned because what she drew looked like what was on his wrists; each one had exactly three lines. Of course, she could have been talking about anything. Perhaps she drew three lines on her wrist just to prove to Sokka that she knew how to draw three lines on her wrist. But what reason would she have to do _that_?

He breathed in deeply. 'Relax Zuko. There is nothing wrong with what she just did. She had a different purpose for it.' However, he did notice Sokka looking in his direction. He looked right back at him. Sokka looked away quickly. Now he was suspicious. Zuko got up and left the fire. He went wandering about the air temple to clear his mind and relax. He began softly singing a song Iroh would often be singing.

"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow. Like fragile, tiny shells drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home. Brave soldier boy, comes marching home."

He kept singing the song as he walked, feeling better although slightly grieved. It was a song Iroh sang when he thought of Lu Ten, his son that had died in battle. Zuko had to smile. He and Lu Ten were close. "You were the only one who really understood me, besides Mom," he whispered to the temple floor, knowing it would forever hold this confession and never let it go.

"Hey Zuko, what are you doing back here?" a voice suddenly asked. With a gasp, a start, and fireballs in both hands, he turned to see who it was. He extinguished the flames. "Sokka, you scared me."

Sokka couldn't help but laugh. "I did? Really?"

"Yes. Yes you did." Zuko laughed a little as well.

"Wow, you are actually laughing."

"Scary, isn't it?"

"Very." Sokka grinned. So did Zuko. The two of them ended up walking around together in silence before Sokka decided to ask him something.

"Can I ask you something, Zuko?"

Zuko looked at him, curious by this question, and nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"Well, um, you know, Katara has been saying stuff about you."

"Yeah, she always says crap about me. Your point?"

"Well, she's been saying that you're…um…a cutter. Is this true?"

Zuko stopped. 'So what I thought was true, but how did she find out? Unless…' He stared ahead. 'Aang, I will kill you.'

"Zuko?"

"Yes?"

"Is it true?"

He shook his head. "Of course not."

"Okay. She even said you had three scars on your wrist."

"Oh, these?" he removed one training band and exposed his scarred wrist, "These are from when I was a little kid. I was on vacation with my family at Ember Island, fell off some rocks I was climbing on, and cut up my wrists. It's the same on my other one too." He waited for Sokka's reply, hoping he fell for it.

Sokka then nodded. "Alright, I believe you."

Zuko smiled. "Thanks Sokka."

He nodded again. "You're welcome."

They then returned to the group while one thought roamed in Zuko's mind. 'Lie after lie after lie. Will any truth ever escape my tongue?'


	5. Ten Hot Squats and a Firewall

Zuko didn't get a lot of sleep that night for two reasons. One, his throat was feeling funny, so he moved away from the group so he could cough and try to relieve the feeling. Two, he was thinking about Aang betraying him.

"Why did he tell her?" he asked the night quietly. "What reason did he have to tell someone when I specifically told him not to tell? I thought that since he was the Avatar…and possibly my friend…that I could trust him enough to keep his mouth shut." He sighed deeply. "I guess I was wrong."

The next morning, Zuko and Aang met to train, although Zuko was not in the best of moods. He was still pretty angry at Aang, and he still had that weird feeling in his throat from last night. Whenever they trained, he spoke in sharp, quick responses to any of Aang's questions or comments. After about fifteen minutes of this, Aang began to notice Zuko's behavior. "Are you alright, Zuko?"

"I'm fine." Zuko said flatly.

"Are you sure? You don't sound alright. You sound mad."

"Maybe I am mad. Ever thought of that, Avatar?"

Aang stopped bending and looked at him. "Zuko, are you angry at me for something?"

"If by something, you mean for being betrayed by one you thought you could trust, then yes. I am mad at you for something."

Aang looked shocked at his reply. Zuko rolled his eyes. "Don't you dare look like you have no idea what I'm talking about, Aang. I know you told Katara my secret when I specifically said not to."

"But…but how did you find out?"

"Let's just say, I was informed that Katara questioned whether or not I was a cutter." He decided not to say it was Sokka so he wouldn't get in any trouble. He then glared at Aang with narrow eyes. Aang immediately bowed his head.

"I-I really am sorry, Zuko."

"You are not fucking sorry. You are only saying that because you know I am mad at you." Zuko's hands then went into fists. "Aang, I fucking trusted you with this secret. I told you, three fucking years, I have kept it a secret. _Three fucking years_! And what the hell do you do? Betray me and tell someone! You told Katara, damn it! No one was to know! _No one_!" His breathing started getting shaky with anger, and even he trembled a little. "Aang, I thought I could trust you because of two reasons. One, you being the Avatar, and two," he paused for a second to consider what he was about to say before responding. "I-I th-thought we could have been friends." At this point, tears of absolute fury lined his eyes. He wiped them away with the back of his fist. Aang now realized how furious Zuko was.

"I thought we were friends already, Zuko."

Zuko breathed deeply, although he was still shaking. "Friends don't betray friends, Aang." He then shot a fireball to the ground. "You know what? I don't feel like talking anymore. Training is done for the day."

"But we didn't even finish."

"Good point. For now until the end of the day, every single time you hear your name, you will do ten hot squats and a firewall. Is that understood?"

Aang nodded. "Yes Zuko."

"Good." He turned to leave. Aang then said, "Will you accept my apology?"

Zuko did not reply. He simply kept walking with his hands in tight fists. Aang left to train with Toph.

Zuko ended up walking into an empty room in the air temple. He sat down and put his head in his hands, attempting to calm down. All he wanted was to do one thing, but he promised he wouldn't. That's when he brought his head up in realization. "What I am about to do will seem like juvenile retaliation, but since he broke a promise to me, I'll break my promise to him. Only difference is he will never know of this." From there, he removed both of his boots and socks and rolled up both pants legs to expose his ankles. He took his knife from the sheath and carefully cut around both ankles so both bled. He sighed in relief as he wiped the blood with his sock, knowing none would be able to see it. He sat with his legs in front of him, watching his ankles bleed and feeling quite content about it. 'Some habits never change. At the moment, however, I am glad of it.'


	6. Five Lines

Zuko woke up the next morning in a daze. He sat up and looked down, wondering why his pants were off and his shorts were rolled up to his hip.

That's when he noticed the scars that lined both sides of his thighs.

He closed his eyes remembering bits and pieces of what happened last night. After cutting his ankles, he felt like he needed more. More blood, more pain, more of his thoughts drifting away. He knew he had to hide it, so he couldn't cut his lower legs. But wait, there were his thighs. Now he remembers taking his pants off and rolling his shorts up. He remembers the sound his knife made as it sliced five neat lines into the outside of his left thigh. He felt no pain. Really, he felt nothing. He was too absorbed in his thoughts.

"_Aang, I fucking trusted you with this secret."_

He made five lines on the inside of his left thigh.

"_No one was to know!"_

His breathing stayed even as he cut five lines on the inside of his right thigh. 'Katara knows…she told Sokka…I had to lie to him…'

Five more lines appeared on the outside of his right thigh. From there, he had sat with his legs apart so his thighs could bleed. Now, he couldn't remember whether he had passed out or fell asleep.

Probably both.

He knew he had to train with Aang today, so he got up as quickly as he could without making the scabs bleed, rolled his shorts down, put his knife back in its sheath, pulled on his pants and boots, and walked away from the temple. There was just one thing that he didn't realize.

There were blood stains on the floor from where he had been sitting.

**(I know that this one is short, but I promise the next one will be longer, and of course have more drama in it. Yay drama!)**


	7. Knew It

Zuko and Aang trained hard into the morning. Of course, Zuko tried hard to not overextend his legs so the scabs would not start bleeding again. Aang stopped and looked at him.

"Why did you have to tell me to do ten hot squats and a firewall every time my name was said? I did those about a million times yesterday?"

"Because you still needed to train."

"But it wasn't a good way to."

Zuko stopped and stared at him. "At least I never said your name. Think about that, Aang."

Aang stayed quiet the rest of the morning.

After they trained, Zuko and Aang returned to the group just as Katara and Sokka were making rice. Toph was sitting nearby, playing with her moon rock. Katara looked at Zuko, and then she looked at Sokka to say something loud enough for Zuko to obviously hear.

"Well, I guess we know how fire benders train. They make their students bend constantly until exhausted."

Zuko sighed deeply. 'If she says something one more time…'

Sokka sighed. "Katara, you know that didn't happen."

"Yeah? Then how come Aang kept bending every time his name was called? He was eventually about to run out of energy." Zuko balled his hands into fists. "Oh well, fire benders are known to be ruthless anyway, so what should it matter?"

He snapped. He turned and faced Katara angrily.

"Okay Katara, enough with the bullshit!"

All was silent. Katara stood up and glared at him. "Excuse me, what did you say?"

"I said, enough with the bullshit, Katara."

"And what are you meaning by that?"

"Obviously, I am meaning you talking crap about me, my homeland, and my people."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Zuko tensed up and brought his shoulders down. "You know what I mean. Quit being a fucking bitch and pretending you have no damn idea what I am talking about!"

"And you really think I am going to listen to an emo fire bender?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I am calling you a cutter, obviously."

"I am not a cutter." The weird feeling returned to his throat.

"Liar."

"You have no proof."

"The knife."

"Infused metals make it have strange colors."

"The bands."

"I normally wear them."

"The scars."

"A result of a childhood accident."

This kept on going back and forth, back and forth. Toph noticed Zuko was making more and more lies. She finally could not take him lying anymore. "Zuko, stop lying."

Zuko looked at her. "What?"

"You heard me. Stop lying, please. I am getting sick of knowing you are lying. Zuko, you are covering up something that is very serious. I can tell by your body's reaction to your lies, and I can tell by your voice."

Everyone was silent and looked at Toph. She was silent. They then looked at Zuko. His heart was pounding in his chest, yet he was keeping his breathing even. Katara then whispered, "Knew it."

Zuko sighed angrily. "Only because Aang was an asshole and had to tell." He walked away from the group.

"Zuko, come back." Sokka called.

"No." He kept walking.


	8. He Exploded

Zuko walked into the woods until he was in the clearing. From there, he exploded. He turned his head up and shot fire from his mouth for a good five minutes before bending fire every which way he could, getting every emotion he had out of his system. He had no idea what he was thinking, what he was feeling, what he was even doing. What had just occurred kept playing in his head over and over again. Toph pretty much confessed for him. This made him upset, angry, and even scared. He trembled as he bended, knowing he was getting more upset by the second.

"Why the hell did I tell Aang in the first place?" A large fireball shot through the air. "Damn it! I should have kept my mouth closed, but of course I did not. Why? Am I that weak? Huh? Am I?"

Two more fireballs lit the air. He again shot fire through his mouth while bending from his hands. He stopped shooting fire from his mouth and kept bending with fury boiling in his blood.

Sokka had secretly followed Zuko out to the woods. His eyes widened when he saw the fire tearing through the air and Zuko in the middle of it all. "So he did lie to me." Sokka whispered, "Why though?" He kept watching as Zuko bended, realizing how serious his problem was, and yet knowing he could have done something about it. Suddenly, he saw Zuko stop bending and stare at the ground with his hands in fists. From the way his back rose and fell, he appeared to be breathing heavily. Zuko suddenly collapsed onto his knees.

"Zuko!" Not caring if Zuko would get angry or not, Sokka rushed over to him. Zuko fell onto his side, still breathing hard. What Sokka didn't know was that he had bended with so much energy without a break, that it caused his chi energy to draw more into his physical energy, exhausting him. Sokka then noticed Zuko's eyes were closed. He quickly checked his breathing.

He wasn't breathing.

In a panic, he rushed back to the camp. "Guys! Guys! Help! Zuko's not breathing! Help!"

**(I know, not long, but I will make a longer chapter the next time. I promise.)**


	9. I'm Not Okay

Aang, Katara, and Toph heard Sokka's cry for help and looked up (Toph looked towards the sound, of course.) Sokka was running to them, waving his arms around in panic. He kept on shouting about Zuko not breathing, not knowing what was wrong, and that they needed to help him. Toph brought her heel down and tripped Sokka, making him fall to the ground.

"Chill," she said simply.

After a moment, Sokka stood up. "Okay, okay, I'm calm now, but Zuko still needs help."

"I'll go." Aang said.

Sokka nodded and looked to his sister. "Katara, we may need you too."

She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine."

"I'll come just so I won't be left behind." Toph said.

Sokka nodded and all four went back to the clearing. Aang went over to Zuko's side when they got there and checked his breathing again. Still nothing. He then gently rolled Zuko onto his back and felt for a pulse. He had a pulse, but just wasn't breathing. Aang then lifted Zuko's chin up, closed his nose, and gently started bending air in and out of his lungs. Everyone else pretty much waited to see if he would breathe again. After a few more rounds of bending air, Zuko started coughing. Aang stopped and looked at him. He then woke up and looked at Aang with blurry vision.

"Hey Zuko. Can you hear me?"

He narrowed his eyes for a moment before nodding.

"Do you know where you are?"

Zuko nodded again. Aang sighed in relief. Zuko then propped himself on his elbows, staying on his elbows when his head began to swim. He then looked to Aang and then to the others and realized what had happened. His eyes took on a look of fear. He began to shake a little as he got himself into a sitting position, not because his head was still swimming, but because of what had just occurred.

"Are you okay?" Aang asked.

Zuko did not answer. He was scared to. The one thing that kept him feeling whole was gone, the secret. He felt so alone….so….vulnerable. He had lost control of himself because of this "life line" being taken away from him, and now he was on thin ice. He gave a shaky sigh and hugged his knees to his chest, looking away.

"Zuko, answer me. Are you okay?" Aang asked again.

'No, I am not okay. I have never been okay, Aang. Isn't that fucking obvious?' This was the response Zuko wanted to give. Instead, he took in a breath before finally dropping his head to his knees and shaking it back and forth. He curled up tighter and was silent. Aang sat patiently, waiting for Zuko to say something. Sokka and Katara watched this in silence. Toph noticed Zuko's heart beating hard with anxiety. She knew that he would not be okay after what she had said, but what else could she do? She wasn't going to let him get away with what he was doing; it was going to eventually kill him.

'It's not too surprising that Sokka would have believed Zuko's lies, but to have not said anything and have ignored it? That was wrong. Of course, what Aang did was good, even though he only told Katara. At least he told somebody.' She sighed with thought.

Zuko looked back up again, still seeing Aang next to him and the others nearby but not close. He trembled more with anxiety. Aang saw this and rested a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Zuko, we only want to help you. We know that you are feeling scared right now, but we promise we will try to help you."

'What's with this _we _stuff? I do not want to help our enemy. This was his mess, and he should be able to clean it up without any help.' Katara thought bitterly.

At this point, one tear went down Zuko's face. Another followed it, and another. And another. And another. Zuko bit his lip and brought his head down to his knees again, crying. "You don't get it," he whispered between sobs, "You just don't understand what I have been through in my life." He looked up this time. "No Aang, scared is a damn understatement. There is much more than just fear, but you wouldn't get it." He brought his head back down. "You just wouldn't."

Aang looked to Sokka, Katara, and Toph and gestured for them to leave. Sokka put his hand on Toph's shoulder and lead her away, Katara right behind them. Aang stayed sitting next to Zuko as he cried.


	10. Maybe She's Right

Aang stayed with Zuko for a little bit, but before he left, he carefully slid the knife out of its sheath and took it with him. Zuko didn't even have to look up. He already knew that Aang would probably do it. Once Aang left, he picked his head up and looked towards the horizon in total silence. This day had just destroyed his world. The one small life line was gone. What else was he going to do?

He then got up with a sigh and headed back to the camp, feeling self-conscious about what everyone would say to him. Surprisingly, no one said a word. They had all already went to bed for the night. He went over to the cliff and sat with his legs over the edge. He knew he would be unable to sleep. He rested his head in his hands and shook his head slowly.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with myself now? Cutting was my one thing I held sacred, and now that is taken away from me. My life is already fucked up, so I guess I am just at a dead end." He then heard a low sound behind him. He turned his head. Appa was looking at him from where he was laying and made the sound again. Zuko got up and walked over to the bison.

"Hey Appa," he said as he touched Appa's nose. He got licked in the face in response. He took it silently. He then went to Appa's side and sat with his back against the bison's leg. The large creature turned his head and looked at him. Zuko looked back and patted his nose again. Appa turned his head back and laid it down. Zuko leaned his head back and rubbed Appa's leg. "A lot of shit has been going on, and I really wish it wasn't. I really thought things were going well. I guess I shouldn't have told Aang about my secret. Maybe then, this wouldn't be going on, and things would go back to normal."

He then stopped petting him and looked out to the night sky. "However, I am now starting to wonder. Is this really a good thing instead of a bad one? Maybe Toph is right. Maybe I really am covering up something serious." He curled up on the ground next to Appa.

"Maybe she's right…."

He was then able to drift off to sleep.

(I know that this was short, but I have not had the time to make new chapters, so please be happy with this one until the next chapter. I love all of you, and thank you for the support you have given this fan-fic.)


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